Author Archives: mike

Morgan Winery: New 2016-2017 Releases from the Santa Lucia Highlands and Monterey

Posted on May 29, 2018 by mike

These are some new stunning releases from Morgan Winery in the Santa Lucia Highlands.   Owner and winemaker  Dan Lee is one of the finest winemakers in the AVA, and we have been big fans of his wines for many years.  … Continue reading →

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Freeman Winery’s 2015-2016 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Releases from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast

Posted on May 3, 2018 by mike

Last week, we met with Ken Freeman, proprietor with his wife Akiko of Freeman Vineyard & Winery, to taste through his new Chardonnay and Pinot Noir releases from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. Ken and Akiko launched the … Continue reading →

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Failla Spring Releases: 2016 Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah

Posted on March 30, 2018 by mike

These 2016 spring releases are a welcome collection of new California and Oregon bottlings from the talented winemaker Ehren Jordan and wife Anne-Marie Failla.  The 2016 vintage in California was a welcome relief from drought with a mild spring followed … Continue reading →

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Obrigado: Impressive New Releases from Portugal

Posted on March 22, 2018 by mike

Over the past two decades, Portugal has made dramatic progress in producing world class red and white table wines.  Today, in the Douro, the Dão,  Alentejo and other regions many  talented winemakers are  crafting exciting wines from an amazing myriad of … Continue reading →

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Smith-Madrone: Superb New Releases from Napa Valley

Posted on March 16, 2018 by mike

Smith-Madrone is a small family-owned and operated  artisanal winery in St. Helena.  It was founded in 1971 by Stuart Smith on a 200-acre ranch, partly planted as a vineyard over a century ago.  The Smith-Madrone estate vineyards sit on Spring … Continue reading →

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Napa’s August Briggs Wines: New Releases 2014

Posted on March 6, 2018 by mike

   Located in downtown Calistoga, Napa Valley, August Briggs Winery produces small quantities of handcrafted premium wines.  Founded in 1995 by August “Joe”  Briggs,  a consulting winemaker, and wife Sally, the winery is managed today by their nephew Jess Inman … Continue reading →

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Sonoma’s Spann Vineyards: New Releases from the 2013-14 Vintages

Posted on March 2, 2018 by mike

Spann Vineyards is a small artisanal winery owned and operated by Peter and Betsy Spann.  Their vineyards are located in the Mayacamas Mountains on a steeply terraced mountainside in Glen Ellen. They dry farm their vineyards and strive for low … Continue reading →

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Chardonnay, Countries and Regions, Red Wine, Uncategorized, White Wine, Wine Type | Tagged , | Leave a comment

More Premium Wines from Bulgaria: Quality Meets Value Part II

Posted on January 3, 2018 by mike

  This is the second part of a two-part review of Bulgarian wines.   In our first article in mid-November,   we  focused on the premium wines of  Bulgariana, one of Bulgaria’s largest producers in the Thracian Valley.   Here we turn … Continue reading →

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The Exciting Wines of Northern Greece: Macedonia REPRINT

Posted on January 2, 2018 by mike

Introduction Greece is producing exciting wines that are little known outside its borders and Macedonia is one of its most important wine producing regions. In this report, we alert our readers to some of the leading wineries and wines of … Continue reading →

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Schug Winery: New Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon Releases from Los Carneros

Posted on December 20, 2017 by mike

In our Report #48 The Wines of Los Carneros we identified several  wineries crafting  outstanding Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and other varieties   One of these wineries was the Schug Carneros Estate Winery, the family operation of Walter and Gertrud Schug, originally … Continue reading →

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